Forum Romanum, Rome

...my favourite, well, The Roman Forum (Foro Romano) would be one of the top three at least. I came to appreciate best, during a two and a half week sojourn in Rome wherein I found myself going to the Forum more or less every day, and each day, I would, quite genuinely find something different.

I found myself almost pitying the tourists who come for a weekend, or even a week to Rome, and rush through the Forum, as I did on my first visit, ...
...the other end. The Forum was built in the valley between four of Rome's seven hills, the Capitoline, the Palatine, the Esquilino and the Celian. The valley itself was inhabited by the Etruscans. Indeed, in the Forum itself there are the evacations of some Etruscan burial sites, close to the Temple of Antoninius Pius and Faustina (incidently, the only Temple to have been named after a woman (Faustina) because her husband (Antoninius) insisted on it.. ... more

If there were one place, in one city, in the world, which I had to pin down as my favourite, well, The Roman Forum (Foro Romano) would be one of the top three at least. I came to appreciate best, during a two and a half week sojourn in Rome wherein I found myself going to the Forum more or less every day, and each day, I would, quite genuinely find something different.

I found myself almost pitying the tourists who come for a weekend, or even a week to Rome, and rush through the Forum, as I did on my first visit, but it is a place, that really does impress exponentially on each visit.

What is the Forum? Well, it was the Heart of Republican and Imperial Rome. Anyone who was anyone in Ancient Rome, would have trodden the Sacra Via (Holy Road.. although it doesn't sound as nice in English!) which still runs from the Colosseum at one end, to the Capitoline Hill at the other end. The Forum was built in the valley between four of Rome's seven hills, the Capitoline, the Palatine, the Esquilino and the Celian. The valley itself was inhabited by the Etruscans. Indeed, in the Forum itself there are the evacations of some Etruscan burial sites, close to the Temple of Antoninius Pius and Faustina (incidently, the only Temple to have been named after a woman (Faustina) because her husband (Antoninius) insisted on it.. quite sweet really, then his name was added to hers when he died because the Senate didn't want to build a new Temple for him!).

The Forum is full of little stories and anecdotes, curiousities and wonders which have built up over the centuries. You are able to see the House of the Vestal Virgins, where the girls tended the sacred flame for thirty years of their lives.. 10 to train to do it, 10 to perform the tasks involved and then 10 years to train the new girls.. and the Temple where Julius Caesar was stabbed to death on the Ides of March.

It is also possible to see the old Basilicas where the commerce was based in the old Roman days, and where the trade and transactions would have been undertaken. In the Basilica Julia and the Basilica Emilia on the other side.

At each end of the Forum there is a triumphal Arch. At the 'Colosseum' end, there is Titus' Arch, which looks out onto the Forum and is close to the entrance to the Palatine Hill (which is great too, incidently!), and the other Arch is Septimus Severus' Arch which is the Capitoline Hill end.

There are so many wonderful things to see, discover and explore in the Forum, and many water fountains, still using the Roman water systems from 2000 years ago, so don't bother buying from the hawkers outside because they charge horrendous prices for bottles of water!

The 'main' entrance to the Forum (which took me ages to find!) is actually on Via dei Fori Imperiali, and has all manner of guidebooks, souvenirs and audio guides. There are also very frequent free english language tours given by American college students, who don't really mind you tacking onto the end!

The Forum is free, as it should be, because it is a part of the heritage of all the nations that the Romans affected, as much as those who live in Rome today. The Via dei Fori Imperiali was an effort by Mussolini to create a ceremonial road through the centre of Rome, destroying in the process, much of the archeological works in the area. There are many current debates about whether to dig this road up and re-excavate under it.. but it is a testament to the egotistical nature of Mussolini and the invasive arrogance of fascism that almost serves as a warning to those in the future.

Walking around in the Forum, brought to mind, more than anything, Shelley's Ozymandius.. 'Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair'. You can gain a perspective of one of the most powerful civilisations ever to exist, and then look at her ruins.. even the mighty fall.. but at least they leave their history for us to enjoy and learn from.

The nearest Metro station is Colosseum and there are many buses that pass by the Forum.  

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